Golly Gee, Where has Sharon been?

Indeed I have been quite silent these days… here on my website, on Facebook, and even on Austen Authors! Oh my! What is wrong with me?

Well, I am fine. Just very, very busy. Yes, more so than normal, and I sure wish I could say it is because I have been writing like mad. Alas, I cannot make that claim. :Cry:

I do have a good reason for being out-of-touch, however, and now I am going to force myself to take the time to share why.

But first, guess where I am? In Atlanta! Yep, as in the lovely southern city in Georgia. I am lounging in my awesome hotel room on the 23rd floor of the Marriott Marquis, resting up before the serious fun begins tomorrow at the Romance Writers of America National Conference. Whoopee! I love the RWA Conference. It is a highlight of my year, and despite the “real life” events that I will share in a bit, I am SO glad I went ahead with my plans for this trip.

Stunning view of Atlanta from my 23rd floor hotel room.

I will do my best to share photos and moments of my experiences at the RWA during this week. Keep an eye on my blog, and my Facebook page – Sharon Lathan, Novelist– and Twitter feed – @SharonLathan. FB and Twitter are always easier to shoot rapid blurbs and pics to, but I shall do my best to add something here as well. I have been silent too long!

This year, as every year since 2009, I have participated in the ProLiteracy Autographing. This event is a wonderful charity, and open to the public. With over 450 romance novelist in attendance signing their latest novels, it is an event NOT to be missed! I will be there, as I said, with copies of The Passions of Dr. Darcy, as well as my lovely bookplates to sign for my other novels. If you are in the Atlanta area and free on Wednesday, be sure to pop in! I love meeting my readers!!

At this event, more than 450 romance authors will meet with and sign books for fans. Proceeds from book sales will benefit ProLiteracy Worldwide, Literacy Action, Inc.,
and Literacy Volunteers Atlanta.

And now for why I have been silent and busier than usual lately: Last month my husband retired. That was huge enough! Lots of planning and paperwork goes into rearranging pensions and social security, let me tell you! But, what made it more involved for us is that we barreled headlong into the future we have planned for years once his retirement occurred. That was to sell our house in California and relocate elsewhere.

Both of us are nearly lifelong residents of CA, and we love many things about the state. Still, there are many things we don’t like, and as people who adore traveling and seeing new sights, we have dreamed of a day when we could experience and visit the wealth of amazing places the rest of the US has to offer. We have almost literally been everywhere of significance in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and many other western states. For close to a decade, if not more, we have contemplated where to relocate to… sifted through the options… but never were sure.

Then, as most of you who visit my pages knows, our daughter Emily was married in 2011 and moved to Washington DC. *tear Her husband Neil – who is absolutely wonderful and who we love immensely – is a Kentucky native, and they both want to settle at, or close to his family home once he is out of the Navy. That got our mind to spinning! So, to make a long story of careful research and numerous discussions short, we decided on Kentucky as The Place. It fits the bill and checked off the list of “retirement location requirements” perfectly.

Beautiful Kentucky landscape. Taken by my daughter Emily.

With that in mind, we promptly began the process of getting our house in CA in ship-shape for the market. Our home is lovely, and well maintained, but after living in it for 17 years, it needed some work and had closets stuffed full of items we don’t need to move! For three weeks we worked non-stop to get it prepped. Well, the aching backs and sore legs paid off because we sold to the first people who toured it! And it wasn’t even officially on the market yet! WOW!

Lathan house in the Central Valley of California

That just happened last week, so now we have to amp up the volume even more. OMG! After the RWA conference ends, I’ll be meeting my hubby and son in Louisville to begin the new house hunt. Whew! Wish us luck! If all goes according to plan – Please God! – we will be moving by August 30.

As you now suspect, this means life will remain hectic for me for some time to come. The upside to all of this is that I will be taking a hiatus from my nursing career and devoting myself to writing full-time. That is my dream, and we intend to make it happen! This will benefit me, and those of you who want more Darcy and Lizzy, or anything by Sharon Lathan. Keep your fingers crossed!

Now off to bed for me so I can be chipper in the morning. I’ll keep you all posted!

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8 Comments for Golly Gee, Where has Sharon been?

Hi Sharon,
So sorry to hear that you are leaving the Central Valley. So excited for you and your family!
Glad I had the honor to meet you in person. I will always treasure our meetings. Enjoyed immensely reading your last book.
I sent you an email a while back regarding Art Center and your Art book, which I borrowed from you. Anyway let me know where I can mail it to.
I wish you and the family all the very best. Enjoy your new home and your new life!
Please try to keep in touch.
Lots of Love,
Gita and Girish

Good Luck Sharon on the big move! Kentucky means HORSES to me! Hope you post a blog about all that happened at the RWA Conference. Someday I may make it to one. (Scheduled 4 this year, hoping to get my historical romance published.) Id love to know what agents attended and how the sessions helped. The recent one I attended was the Historical Novel Society’s WC in Florida. Great sessions, and CD’s available for whatever was missed. Check out my blog and photos at http://www.cjfosdick.com

Hi Sharon,
I sent you an email a while back when I heard you and Steve were finally making the move. Not sure if the address I had still works, but it didn’t bounce back. Anyway, sorry to know that you’re leaving CA just when I’m about to return but I’m sure our paths will cross again one of these days. I semi-retired July 1 and will fully call it a career next spring. Then I too will spend much of my time writing. Can you think of anything better than that?

I wish you and the family all the very best. Enjoy your new home and your new life!
xxoo Pamela

Dear Sharon, I´ve read mostly everything about your move to Kentucky and I am quite impressed. This is such a big step. And August 30th is just around the corner!
Your house in California is beautiful! I am sure that you´ll find a new home for your family that is as beutiful as your former home! Writting fulltime sounds marvellous.
I wish you, Steve and Kyle all the best for your house hunting! Can´t wait to hear more about it.
And have a wonderful time in Atlanta. I´ve been there in 2009 and I loved Atlanta and Georgia.
Lots of love,
Susanne

Wow!!! Taking a hiatus to concentrate on writing that is awesome news!!! I’ll definitely be keeping my fingers crossed for that Sharon!! I love your writing and look forward to so much more wonderful reading in the new novels you’re planning woohoo!
Atlanta looks beautiful and I hope you have a wonderful time at the RWA conference 🙂
I also wish you the very best in your house hunting. I hope you find a beautiful home to set up new and wonderful memories with your amazing family!
Happy retirement to Steve xx
I look forward to hearing all about your trip and seeing all the fab pics.
Love always Vee xxx